12th std. Journey to the end of the Earth

 12th std. Journey to the end of the Earth

Questions & answers

Short answer types

Answer each of the following questions in about 30-40 words:

Question 1.How do geological phenomena help us to know about the history of mankind? 

Answer:It is geological phenomena that help us to know about the history of mankind. Geologists say about 650 million years ago a giant ‘amalgamated’ super continent, Gondwana existed in the South. At that time India and Antarctica were parts of the same landmass. Gondwana had a warm climate and a huge variety of flora and fauna. This supercontinent survived for 500 years till the age of mammals got underway.

Question 2.What kind of indications do we get while visiting Antarctica to save Earth?

Answer:Tishani Doshi’s entire experience of visiting Antarctica was nothing short of a revelation. It made her wonder about the “beauty of balance in play on our planet”. She hopes the new generation will understand their planet better and save it from annihilation. The planet’s ecosystem and its balance that took millions of years to form can be soon destroyed. Scientists warn that a further depletion in the ozone layer will affect the activities of the phytoplankton. The lives of the marine animals and birds of the region will be affected. But the school students’ visit to the Antarctica may make human beings handle their planet in a better way.

Question 3.How can a visit to the Antarctica be an enlightening experience? 

Answer:By visiting the Antarctica we can understand the earth’s past, present and future. A visit there can teach the next generation to understand and value our planet. Antarctica also holds within its ice-cores half-million-years old carbon records which will help us to study climatic changes by global warming.

Question 4.Why is a visit to Antarctica important to realise the effect of global warming?

Answer:Antarctica is the perfect place to study the effects that global warming is causing. It is here that one can see the effect of melting glaciers and collapsing ice-shelves and how this is likely to raise the water levels in the sea and the ocean, as a result of which many low lying regions will be submerged under water.

Question 5.How is Antarctica a crucial element in the debate on climate change? 

Answer:Antarctica is a crucial element in the debate on climate change because it is the only place in the world which has never sustained a human population and thus remains relatively pristine. Moreover, it holds in its ice-caves half-million- year old carbon records trapped in its layers of ice. The world’s climate is changing fast and is at present one of the most hotly debated issues. Antarctica is the ideal place to study the effect of these environmental changes as it has a very simple ecosystem and lacks biodiversity. If global warming makes Antarctica warmer, it will have disastrous consequences elsewhere.

Question 6.What was the objective of the ‘Students on Ice Programme’? 

Answer:The objective of the ‘Students on Ice’ programme was to take High School students to the limits of the world and provide them not only with inspiring opportunities in education but also enable them to understand and respect our planet. The idea was to provide them a life-changing experience at an age when they are ready to absorb, learn and most importantly act. According to Geoff Green, the High School students are the future policy makers and through this programme they would save this planet from ecological hazards and the harmful effects of global warming.

Question 7.Why is Antarctica and its understanding important for the survival of the world?

Answer:Antarctica and its understanding is important for the survival of the world because it helps us to know that the southern supercontinent of Gondwana existed and centered around the present-day Antarctica. Human beings had not come on the global scene but a huge variety of flora and fauna was present in the supercontinent. It was after 500 million years that the landmass was forced to separate into countries that exist today. Antarctica’s ice-cores hold over half-million-year-old carbon records which are crucial for the study of the Earth’s past, present and future.

Question 8.What are the indications for the future of humankind? 

Answer:A fast and steady rise in human population in proportion to the limited natural resources is exerting pressure on land. Forests are being cut and fossil fuels are being burnt and these factors are increasing the global temperature. Melting of glaciers, depletion of ozone layer and global warming are endangering man’s existence on earth. This is bound to adversely affect marine life, birds and mankind.

Question 9.How did the Antarctica amaze the writer when he first saw it? 

Answer:When the writer first saw Antarctica he was amazed by its vastness and immense white landscape. It was an endless blue horizon and the fact that it was isolated from the rest of the world created an added sense of wonder and mystery about the continent.

Question 10.Why was Tishani Doshi filled with relief and wonder when she set foot on the Antarctic continent? 

Answer:Tishani Doshi’s first emotion when she set foot on the Antarctic continent was one of relief. She felt relieved to have set foot there after over a hundred hours. Its vastness and immense wild landscape dazzled her eyes. Its endless blue horizon and its isolation from the rest of the world created a sense of wonder and mystery for her.

Question 11.Why is Antarctica the place to go to if we want to study the earth’s past, present and future? 

Answer:The Antarctica landmass, that was an amalgamated southern supercontinent called Gondwana dates back to 650 million years. It can help us understand better the formation of continents and mountains like the Himalayas as they are in the modem world. Its ice-cores hold over half-million-year old carbon records that are vital to study the Earth’s past, present and future.

Question 12.What were the writer’s feelings on reaching Antarctica?

Answer:The writer’s first emotion on reaching Antarctica was that of relief. He felt relieved to have set foot on the Antarctic continent after over 100 hours. Then he experienced a sense of amazement on seeing its vastness and immense white landscape which dazzled her eyes.

Question 13.What sort of brightness and silence prevailed in Antarctica dining summer?

Answer:The brightness that prevailed in Antarctica was surreal (strange) as the austral summer light remained for 24 hours in the continent. The silence there was ubiquitous (widespread) interrupted only by the occasional avalanche or calving ice sheet.

Question 14.What do you think is the reason behind the success of the programme, ‘Students on Ice’?

Answer:The programme ‘Students on Ice’ was a success because it offered a life changing exposure to the future generation of policy makers at an age when they could absorb, learn and act. It provided them with inspiring educational opportunities which would help them foster a new understanding and respect for our planet.

Question 15.Why does the author of Journey to the End of the Earth state that in 12000 years man has managed to create a ruckus on this earth? 

Answer:Humans have been on this Earth for about 12,000 years and have created a havoc and ruckus on this Earth. They have done this by encroaching on nature and establishing cities and megacities. Their increasing population has depleted natural resources and their callousness towards nature has led to a rise in global temperature.

Question 16.How was Antarctica a chilling prospect for a South Indian, Tishani Doshi?

Answer:Tishani Doshi is a sun-worshipping South Indian lady and for her to spend two weeks in a place where 90 per cent of the Earth’s total ice volumes are stored is a chilling prospect, not just for circulatory and metabolic functions, but also for the imagination.

Long answer types

Answer the following question in about 120-150 words.

Question 17.How the programme, ‘Students on Ice’ was an attempt to equip future generation with knowledge to save Earth? 

Answer:The objective of the ‘Students on Ice’ programme was to take the High School students to the limits of the world and provide them with inspiring opportunities in education to enable them to understand and respect our planet. According to Geoff Green, the High School students are the future policy-makers and through this programme they would be able to save this planet from the ecological hazards and the harmful effects of global warming. Antarctica, with its simple ecosystem and lack of biodiversity, is the perfect place to study how little changes in the environment can have major repercussions. The school students’ impressionable minds can study and examine the Earth’s past, present and future by their voyage to Antarctica.

Question 18.The world’s geological history is trapped in the Antarctica. How is the study of this region useful to us? 

Answer:The Antarctic landmass dates back to 650 million years. It was an amalgamated southern supercontinent called Gondwana. This landmass centered around the present-day Antarctica. Human beings did not exist as their civilization is only 12,000 years old. The climate at that time was warm and landmass flourished with a vast variety of flora and fauna. The study of this region shows that Gondwana prospered for 500 million years. But then the dinosaurs got wiped out and mammals began to appear. The landmass disintegrated into countries and India, the Himalayas and South America was formed. This left Antarctica frigid at the bottom of the earth. Today, it stores the key to the significance of coridelleran folds and pre- Cambrian granite shields, ozone and carbon layers as well as a study of the evolution and extinction. This can help us to understand in a better way the formation of continents and mountains like the Himalayas as we find them in the modem world. Its ice-folds hold over half-million-year-old carbon records that are so crucial for the study of the Earth’s past, present and future, thus trapping the world’s geological history in Antarctica.

Question 19.

What are phytoplanktons? How are they important to our ecosystem? (2010 Outside Delhi; 2012 Delhi)

Answer:

The microscopic phytoplankton are tiny forms of plant life on the sea. They nourish and sustain the entire southern ocean’s food chain. They are single-celled plants and use the energy of the sun to assimilate carbon supplying oxygen and synthesise compounds. Depletion of the ozone layer that protects us from the harmful rays of the sun adversely affects the activities of the phytoplankton. Any further depletion in the ozone layer will hamper their activity which, in turn, is bound to affect the growth of marine animals and birds and even the global carbon cycle. Thus to save the big organisms the small organisms need to be cared for because even minor changes have huge repercussions.

Question 20. Why does Tishani Doshi call her trip to Antarctica a “Journey to the End of the Earth”? What experience did she have during this expedition?

Answer:Tishani Doshi calls her trip to Antarctica a ‘Journey to the End of the Earth’ because she crosses nine time zones, six checkpoints, three water bodies and many ecospheres to reach there. The entire journey takes one hundred hours. She is wonder-struck by the immensity and isolation of the region. She is also relieved to see its expansive wide landscape and uninterrupted blue horizon. Antarctica provides young students like her with a platform to study changes in the environment. The programme is also likely to help them develop a new respect and understanding of our planet. Antarctica is also the perfect place for them to study how little climatic changes can have big repercussions and how global warming and further depletion of the ozone layer can affect the Antarctic region. The study of the Antarctica will help them to understand the earth’s past, present and future.

12th std. The Third Level by Jack Finney

 

12th std. The Third Level by Jack Finney

Questions & answers

Short answer type questions

Answer each of the following questions in about 30-40 words:

Question 1. What does the third level refer to? What is the significance of the third level? 

Answer: The third level is a medium of escape through which man yearns to be away from life’s harsh realities. Modem life is devoid of peace and tranquility so man in his quest to seek solace escapes to a place where his aim is to seek the realization of his dreams and unfulfilled wishes of his subconscious mind.

Question 2. How did Charley make sure that he was not in the present time? 

Answer:To make sure that he was not in the present time, Charley did a reality check. He looked at the newspapers which were on sale at a kiosk and found a copy of the newspaper ‘The World’, which carried the main story on President Cleveland. Then he confirmed from the Public Library files that the newspaper he had seen was dated 11th June, 1894.

Question 3.How does Charley, the narrator describe the third level at Grand Central Station? 

Answer:Charley says that the rooms on the third level were smaller than that of the second level. There were fewer ticket windows and train gates and the information booth in the centre was wood and old looking. There were open- flame gaslights and brass spittoons on the floor. Everyone at the station was dressed in nineteenth century dresses.

Question 4. What convinced Charley that he had reached the third level at Grand Central Station and not the second level? 

Answer:The general layout of the third level was different from that of the second level. It had comparatively smaller rooms, fewer ticket windows and lesser train gates. The infor¬mation booth in the centre was made of wood and looked old. The place with its brass spittoons did not look very bright. So Charley was convinced it was not the second level.

Question 5.How did Charley often get lost on the Grand Central Station? (2010 Delhi)

Answer:The Grand Central Station was growing like a tree pushing out endless corridors, doorways and stairs like roots. It had intricate and tangled pathways. The network of passages was so complicated that instead of reaching his destination, one did tend to move up and down to look for entries and exits. So, Charley often got lost on this station.

Question 6.Why did Charley suspect that Sam had gone to Galesburg? 

Answer:When Sam disappeared all of a sudden and no one knew about his whereabouts, Charley suspected he had gone to Galesburg as Sam was a city boy and liked Galesburg very much. Then Charley found an envelope mailed to Sam by his grandfather from his home in Galesburg and so it confirmed that Sam was indeed in Galesburg.

Question 7.How does Charley describe Galesburg as it used to be in 1894? 

Answer:Charley describes Galesburg as a quiet, simple and peaceful place with big old frame houses, huge lawns and tremendous trees. The summer evenings were rather long and people sat out on their lawns in a peaceful world, men smoking cigars and women waving palm-leaf fans.

Question 8.What did Charley learn about Sam from the stamp and coin store? 

Answer:From the stamp and coin store Charley gets to know that Sam had bought old style currency worth eight hundred dollars. This money was sufficient to set him up in a little hay, feed and grain business in Galesburg.

Question 9.How did Sam reach Galesburg? What did he advise Charley to do? 

Answer:Sam was fascinated by Charley’s description of Galesburg. He was so burdened by the tensions and stress of modem life that he thought of escaping to the peaceful world of Galesburg. His advice to Charley is that, he (Charley) and his wife, Louisa should come over to Galesburg through the medium of the ‘third level’.

Question 10.Why did the booking clerk refuse to accept the money? 

Answer:The booking clerk refuses to accept the money because the notes Charley had given him were of old style. He did not pay in the currency notes that were in circulation in 1894. So the clerk stared at him and told him, “That ain’t money, Mister”. He thought Charley was trying to cheat him and even threatened to get him arrested.

Question 11.Why did Charley rush back from the third level? 

Answer:When Charley took out the modem currency to pay for the two tickets to Galesburg, the ticket clerk accused him of trying to cheat him. He threatened to hand Charley over to the police. Charley was frightened and he decided to rush back from the third level, lest he was arrested and put into prison.

Long answer type questions

Answer each of the following questions in about 120-150 words.

Question 12.What kind of people did Charley ‘See’ at the third level? 

Answer:Having worked late at the office Charley decided to take a train back home. So he came to Grand Central Station and from the second level he got lost while ducking into an arched doorway and found himself inside a tunnel. This tunnel took him to another light of stairs and he found himself on the third level of the station. As compared to the second level, the third level had smaller rooms, fewer ticket windows and train gates. Everyone there was dressed in ‘eighteen-ninety -something’. Charley came across men and women wearing 19th century dresses. Men sported fancy moustaches, beards and sideburns. Tiny lapels, four-button suits, derby hats and pocket gold watches seemed to be in vogue. Women were wearing fancy cut sleeves, long skirts and high-buttoned shoes. Charley was confused to see people sporting old-fashioned clothes and hair styles at the third level.

Question 13.Do you think that the third level was a medium of escape for Charley? Why? 

Answer:The fears, anxieties and insecurities of the modem world are taking a toll on man’s mind. He feels helpless and frustrated and seeks temporary respite from life’s harsh realities. Charley too was unable to cope up with his fastpaced and stressful life so his flight to the third level was undoubtedly a medium of escape for him. It is nothing but a creation of Charley’s own mind. He wants to escape from the modern world’s insecurity, fear, worries and stress and so seeks an exit, a medium to get away into the world of dreams and fancies.

Question 14.What made Charley believe that the was actually standing at the third level? 

Answer:One night Charley worked late at the office. He was in a hurry to get to his apartment. So he decided to take the subway from Grand Central. He ducked into an arched doorway and then he got lost. He walked down the steps to the second level, turned left and kept on walking. He came out on the third level at the Grand Central Station. This was a different, old and romantic world. So he was convinced that he was actually standing at the third level. There were fewer ticket windows there which were made of wood and were old-looking. There were open flame gaslights. He saw people with beards, sideburns and fancy moustaches. Then he caught a glimpse of an old locomotive and also saw an 1894 issue of ‘The World’ newspaper. Perhaps Charley is under pressure to escape from the harsh world of realities. He would like to escape to the peaceful world of 1894.

Question 15. How did Charley reach the third level of Grand Central? How was it different from the other levels? 

Answer:One night Charley worked till late at the office. Then he was in a hurry to get back to his apartment. So he decided to take the subway from Grand Central. He went down the steps and came to the first level. Then he walked down to the second level from where the suburban trains left. He ducked into an arched doorway that headed to the subway. Then he got lost. Knowing that he was going wrong he continued to walk downward. The tunnel turned a sharp left and then taking a short flight of stairs he came out on the third level at the Grand Central Station. Here he saw many unusual things. There were very few ticket windows and train gates that were old-looking and made of wood. Dim gaslights flickered and men wore derby hats and four-button suits. It was a rather strange world of sideburns, beards and fancy moustaches.

Question 16.What is being inferred from Sam’s letter to Charley? 

Answer:Sam’s letter to Charley is dated 18th July, 1894. It is written from Galesburg, Illinois. In response to Charley’s claim of having visited the third level, Sam who is equally insecure wishes the entire episode is true, as he too believes in the existence of the third level. There are some inferences made by the letter. The introductory part of the letter confirms Charley’s belief in the existence of the third level. It also suggests that those who find the third level can travel across to Galesburg and enjoy the festivities, songs, music and peaceful world of the 1890s. So the author uses Sam’s letter as a unique combination of the real and fantasy world.

Question 17.How does Charley make his description of the third level very realistic?

Answer:To make his description of the third level very realistic, Charley describes its minute details, vividly comparing it to the second level of the Grand Central station. He says the rooms here were smaller. There were fewer ticket windows and train gates, and the information booth was wooden and old-looking. He also gives a detailed description about the people he saw at the third level and their dresses. He says the people wore nineteenth century dresses; many men had beards, sideburns and fancy moustaches. He also buys tickets to Galesburg, Illinois thus making the reader believe that he was actually at the third level.

12th std. Mother at sixty six

 12th std. Mother at sixty six

Read the extracts and answer the questions that follow.

1. Driving from my parent’s

home to Cochin last Friday

morning, I saw my mother,

beside me,

doze, open-mouthed, her face

ashen like that

of a corpse and realised with pain

that she was as old as she looked but soon

put that thought away…

(a)Where was the narrator driving to? Who was sitting beside her?

Ans. The narrator was driving to the airport on her way to Cochin. Her mother was sitting next to her.

(b) What did the narrator notice about her mother?

Ans. The narrator noticed that her mother had dozed off and she was looking old, pale and weak.

(c) Why did her mother’s face look like that of a corpse?

 Ans. The mother looked old, pale and ashen. Since she had dozed off, with her mouth open, the narrator felt she looked like a corpse in that condition.

(d) Find words from the passage which mean (i) Sleep lightly (ii) Dead body

 Ans.(i) Dozed; (ii) Corpse

2. Looked but soon

put that thought away, and

looked out at young

trees sprinting, the merry children spilling

out of their homes

(a)What did the narrator realise? How did she feel?

Ans. The narrator realised that her mother had grown old and would not be around for very long. This thought pained her.

(b) What did she do then?

 Ans. She started looking out of the car window in order to divert her attention to something else.

(c) What did she see outside?

Ans. She saw young trees moving fast as if they were sprinting and also saw young children happily running out of their homes to play.

(d) Find words from the passage which mean (i) Running fast (ii) Happy

Ans.(i) Sprinting; (ii) Merry

3. But after the airport’s

security check, standing a few yards

away, I looked again at her, wan,

pale

as a late winter’s moon

(a)Name the poem and the poet.

 Ans. The poem is ‘My Mother at Sixty-six’ and the poet is `Kamala Das’.

 (b) What did the narrator do after the security check?

Ans. The narrator stood a few yards away and looked at her mother’s face again.

(c) Why did the narrator compare her mother’s face to a late winter’s moon?

 Ans. The narrator’s mother is old, frail and very pale like the moon in late winter. Hence, the comparison.

 (d) Find words from the extract which mean the same as (i) Colourless (ii) Faded yellowish

Ans. (i) Pale; (ii) Wan

4. ….As a late winter’s moon and felt

that old

familiar ache, my childhood’s fear,

(a)What has been compared to a late winter’s moon?

Ans. The narrator’s ageing mother has been compared to the late winter’s moon.

 (b) Why has the comparison been made?

Ans. The narrator’s mother looked old, frail and very pale like the moon in late winter. Hence, the comparison.

(e) Identify the poetic device in the lines.

Ans. The poetic device used in the line ‘as a late winter’s moon’ is a simile.

 (d) What is the ‘familiar ache’ mentioned in these lines?

Ans. It refers to the narrator’s childhood fear of losing her parent or fear of separation from her. 5. but all I said was, see you soon, Amma, all I did was smile and smile and smile…’

(a)Why did the narrator say ‘see you soon, Amma’?

Ans. The narrator said this to reassure her mother and herself that she would see her soon. After the pain of realising that her mother had grown old, there is a mood of acceptance of reality.

(b) Why did the narrator smile and smile?

Ans. The narrator tries to put up a brave in front of her mother in order to hide her true feelings of pain at seeing the old and weak condition of her mother.

(c) ‘Smile and smile and smile’ is a poetic device. Identify it.

Ans. It is repetition and has been used to emphasize the narrator’s acceptance of the fact that her mother had aged and wouldn’t be around much longer.

 (d) Anima is the fond way of addressing someone. Who is being addressed here?

 Ans. The narrator’s mother is being addressed as ‘Amma’.

5.old                                                                           familiar ache, my childhood’s fear,

but all I said was, see you soon,

Amma,

all I did was smile and smile and

smile

 (a) What does the phrase, ‘familiar ache’ mean?

 (b) What was the poet’s childhood fear?

 (c) What do the first two lines tell us about the poet’s feelings for her mother?

 (d) What does the repeated use of the word, ‘smile’ mean?

Ans. (a) The phrase ‘familiar ache’ here means a persistent painful thought which has been nagging about her frail old mother.

 (b) The poet’s childhood fear was of losing her old and ageing mother one day.

 (c) The first two lines tell us that the poet agonizes at the thought of her mother growing old and she is trying to sound hopeful while bidding farewell to her mother.

(d) The repeated use of ‘smile’ indicates that she ran short of words, became emotional and was trying to make an effort to hide her pain behind that smile.

6. ....I saw my mother,

beside me,

doze, open-mouthed, her face ashen like

that

of a corpse and realised with

pain

(a) Who is ‘I’?

(b) What did ‘I’ realise with pain?

(c) Why was the realisation painful?

(d) Identify and name the figure of speech used in these lines.

Ans. (a) Here ‘ l’ is the poet.

(b) ‘I’, i.e. the poet realised with pain her ageing mother’s failing health and noticed her corps till pale face.

(c) The realisation was painful as she felt that her mother might not live long.

(d) The figure of speech is simile ‘ashen like that of a corpse’.

7.Driving from my parent’s

home to Cochin last Friday

morning, I saw my mother,

beside me,

doze, open-mouthed, her face

ashen like that

of a corpse and realised with

pain

 (a) When and where was the poetess driving to?

(b) Who was sitting beside her? What did the poetess notice about her?

(c) What does the poetess compare her mother’s face with and why?

(d) Name the poem and the poetess.

Ans. (a) The poetess was driving from her parents home to the airport at Cochin on a Friday morning.

(b) The mother of the poetess was sitting beside her. She noticed that her mother was dozing with her mouth open. Then she realised that her mother had grown old.

(c) The poetess compares her mother’s face with a corpse, i.e. a dead body because her face has lost the charm. It is pale, faded and lifeless.

(d) The poem is ‘My Mother at Sixty-six’ and is written by Kamala Das.

8. …that she was as old as she

looked but soon

put that thought away, and

looked out at Young

Trees sprinting, the messy children spilling

out of their homes,

(a) What did the poetess realise? How did she feel?

 (b) What did the poetess do then?

 (c) What did the poetess notice outside?

 (d) Explain: “the merry children spilling out of their homes”.

(e) What do young sprinting trees signify?

(f) Which thoughts did the poetess put away?

 Ans. (a) The poetess realised that her mother was old now. Her corpse-like ashen face made the poet accept the fact that her mother was approaching her death. This realisation frightened the poetess. She felt restless and disturbed.

 (b) The poetess tried to change the thought of her mind and distract herself from the thoughts about her ageing mother and so started looking out of the window.

 (c) The poetess noticed young children playing outside. The young trees seemed moving rapidly in the opposite direction of the moving car. These represent energy and youth in contrast to the thought of old age and death.

(d) This refers to the image of young children rushing out of their homes to play. These children are young, full of energy and happy. They are in direct contrast to the ageing mother.

 (e) The young sprinting trees signify the active, cheerful, bright and energetic youth.

 (f) The poet put away the thoughts of her mother who was getting old and the fear of losing her one day.

9. I looked again at her, wan,

Pale

as a late winter’s moon and felt that

old

familiar ache, my childhood’s fear.

(a) Who do ‘I’ and ‘her’ refer to? How does ‘her face appear?

(b) What does the ‘familiar ache’ refer to?

(c) Name and explain the poetic device used in the second line.

 Ans. (a) ‘I’ refers to the poet, Kamala Das, and ‘her’ refers to her mother. Her mother was very old a her face appeared withered and pale.

(b) The ‘familiar ache’ refers to the poet’s childhood pain and fear of being separated from her mother. Her mother’s old pale face made the poetess realise the fact of her eventual death.

(c) A simile has been used in the second line. Mother’s old pale face has been compared with pate late winter’s moon to emphasise her withered face and gradual ageing.

10….. and felt that

Old

familiar ache, my childhood’s fear

but all I said was, see you soon,

Amma,

all I did was smile and smile and smile…

 (a) What do the of the poetess parting words of the poetess suggest?

 (b) Why did she ‘smile and smile’?

 (c) Why did the poetess suppress her pain in the presence of her mother at the airport?

Ans. (a) The parting words suggest the optimism of the poetess. They console the mother that she would return soon and give her a hope of survival.

 (b) The poet smiled and smiled to conceal her fear and pain of separation from her mother. Again the smile was to give an assurance of survival to the mother.

 (c) The poetess didn’t want to increase the pain and agony of her mother, who must be feeling sad while parting from her daughter. So she didn’t show her pain at the time of departure of her mother.

Short Answer Type Questions 

1. What is the kind of pain and ache that the narrator feels?

Ans. The emotional pain and ache that the narrator feels is the realisation that her mother has grown old and is frail and pale like a corpse.

2. Why are the young trees described as sprinting?

Ans. The young trees are personified in the poem. They seem to be running in the opposite direction when seen through the window of the moving car. The movement is juxtaposed with the expression on the mother’s face i.e. ashen like a corpse.

3. Why has the narrator brought in the image of the merry children ‘spilling out of their homes’?

Ans. The narrator highlights the helplessness and frailty of old age with the help of contrasts. The listless mother dozes off open-mouthed, whereas the children spill out of their homes signifying movement and energy, which the old people are bereft of. The image of the children spilling out of their homes and trees sprinting provides a contrast to the lack of vitality in the mother.

4. Why has the mother been compared to ‘late winter’s moon’?

 Ans. The mother has been compared to the late winter’s moon which is dull and shrouded. It symbolises the ebbing away of life. The moon brings to the narrator’s mind, the night or the approaching end of life.

5. What do the parting words of the narrator and her smile signify?

Ans. The parting words ‘see you soon Amma’ are used by the narrator to reassure the mother and to infuse optimism in the narrator herself. She accepts the reality of her mother’s approaching death, yet keeps up the facade of a smiling, happy face in order to put up a brave front. It requires a lot of effort and hence the poet has used the poetic device of repetition to emphasize this.

6. What childhood fears do you think the narrator is referring to in the poem ‘My Mother at Sixty Six’?

Ans. The narrator refers to the fears a child has of losing a parent or getting lost somewhere and thus getting separated from them or even one’s own process of ageing. The narrator felt this kind of fear while looking at her mother’s aged and pale face. She was afraid that she might never see her alive again.

7. What does the narrator mean by ‘all I did was smile and smile and smile…’?

Ans. The narrator realises the pain and aches she would feel at separating from her mother. It was her childhood fear that she was experiencing once again. She was trying to hide her true emotions from herself and her mother by smiling and smiling.

8. What does the narrator’s mother look like? What kind of images has been used to signify her ageing?

Ans. The narrator’s mother is sixty-six years old, looks pale like a corpse. The imagery of death has been created by this comparison.

9. What were the activities that the narrator saw outside the car window?

Ans. The narrator saw young trees speeding past which seemed as if they were sprinting or running fast. Happy, enthusiastic and energetic children could be seen running out of their homes. They present an image of youth and energy in comparison to the lack of energy of the narrator’s mother.

10. Why does the narrator look outside? What does she perceive?

Ans. The very thought of separation from her mother upsets and depresses the narrator. She experiences the fear that she may never meet her mother again. In order to drive away such negative thoughts, she looks out of the window and her mind gets diverted when she sees trees moving rapidly and children playing merrily.

11. What does the narrator do after the security check-up? What does she notice?

Ans. Immediately after the security check-up at the airport, and standing a few yards away from her mother, the narrator observes her mother once again and compares her to the pale, colourless winter’s moon, marking the last phase of her life, i.e., her old age. She is pained to see her in such a condition and the fear of separation returns in her, once again.

12. What is the narrator’s familiar ache and why does it return?

Ans. The narrator is pained to see her mother old and pale. This arouses the ‘familiar ache’ in her heart which she used to experience in her childhood.

13. Why does the narrator smile and what does she say while bidding goodbye to her mother?

Ans. The narrator smiles in order to put up a brave front so that her mother does not observe her pained and frightened look. She smiles in order to reassure her mother and says that she would see her again soon.

14. What poetic devices has the poet used in ‘My Mother at Sixty-six’?

Ans. The poem is rich in imagery. Devices of comparisons and contrasts are also used by the poet to draw out the difference between youth and old age. She describes the mother’s face using similes ‘ashen like a corpse’, and ‘late winter’s moon’. The merry children playing happily are contrasted with the old, weak and pale mother.

15. What kind of pain does Kamala Das feel in ‘My Mother at Sixty Six’? 

 Ans. The pain that Kamala Das feels is the pain of separation from her mother by death. She had also felt it in her childhood.

16. Why are the youngsters described as springing? 

Ans. The poetess is in the car on her way home to the Cochin airport. She looks outside some young children were running and playing. The poetess seems to contrasts her ageing mother with the youngsters’ full of life.

17. Why does Kamala Das compare her mother to ‘a pale winter’s moon’? 

 Ans. The late winter’s moon is calm and hazy with a dim lustre; it loses its vitality and power. So the poetess compares her mother’s calm, colourless and withered face to the late winter’s moon. She has become weak and was due to her age of sixty-six.

18. Having looked at her mother, why does Kamala Das look at the young children? 

Ans. While driving her car, the mother was sitting with her. She was dozing with mouth open. Her face was pale and ashen. She looked like a corpse. She was deeply depressed and pain started troubling her mind. In order to put these troubled thoughts away, she looked at the outside world which was full of life, activity and energy. This distraction made her feel happy.

19. What was Kamala Das’s childhood fear? 

 Ans. After seeing her mother at sixty-six in a pale like a corpse face, her childhood fear of separation from her mother returns. She is deeply pained lest she should not find her mother alive after her return. These thoughts are painful and distressing to her.

20. In the last line of the poem, ‘My Mother at Sixty-six’, why does the poet use the word ‘smile’ repeatedly? 

Ans. In the last line, the poet repeats the word ‘smile’. This repetition brings out the poet’s need to hide her pain from the mother and even herself and to pretend that all was well and they would meet again. The smile heightens the contrast between her inner pain and outward behaviour.

21. How does Kamala Das try to put away the thoughts of her ageing mother?

Ans. In order to put away the thoughts of her ageing mother, the poetess started looking out of the window of the car at young trees sprinting, the merry children spilling out of their homes.

22. What is the kind of pain and ache that the poet feels?

 Ans. Whenever the poet looks at the colourless and pale face of her mother, her old familiar pain realising that her mother was ageing and would die soon.

23. Why has the poet brought in the image of the merry children ‘spilling out of these home’? 

Ans. The image of the merry children ‘spilling out of their home’ is to suggest the idea of youth and beauty in contrast to the ashen-like pale wan face of her ageing mother. This image emphasises the fact that the old mother has lost the vitality, energy, charm, beauty and youth.

24. What do the parting words of the poet and her smile signify?

Ans. The parting words express the poet’s optimism. These words console the mother that she would soon visit her again. She smiles to conceal her fear and pain of separation from her mother and gives her ageing mother an assurance of survival.

25. What was Kamala Das fear as a child? Why do they surface when she is going to the airport?

Ans. As a child, the poet always had a fear of getting separated from her mother. There was a sense of insecurity and fear of losing her mother. The childhood fear reappeared when, while going to the airport, she looked at the pale and withered face of her mother and realised that her mother was ageing and she might lose her soon.

Long Answer Type Questions

 Q1. In today’s fast life, children neglect their ageing parents. What do you think children can do to have an involved and inclusive relationship with their elderly parents?

 Ans. Children are caught up in their own world of stress and ambition. They sometimes ignore their parents. However, if they live in the same city, they should take out some time for them. If they are in another city, the children must ring them up regularly.

Birthdays and festivals are a good time to spend with their elderly parents and make them feel wanted. If children accompany their parents for the medical check-up, the parents will feel reassured. Last but not least, children must let them know how much they are loved. This is the best gift children and grandchildren can endow to the elderly parents.

 Q2. The poem, ‘My Mother At Sixty Six’, brings home the theme that ageing is a natural process and is going to envelop one and all. Comment.

 Ans. The narrator sees her mother dozing looking pale as a corpse. The mother’s pale face arouses the narrator’s childhood fears of losing her mother but she cannot stay on. She accepts her mother’s ageing as a natural process. She hides her pain and guilt under a smile. The narrator delves on the complexities of life in which we have to strike a balance and sometimes part with our dear ones as we have other commitments.

12th std The Last Lesson

 12th std The Last Lesson

Short answer type questions

Q1. Who were sitting on the back benches during M Hamel’s last lesson? Why?

Answer:The old men of the village were sitting on the back benches during M Hamel’s last lesson because they were sorry that they had not attended school more often.They also wanted to thank their teacher for his forty years of faithful service and to show their respect for the country that was theirs no longer.

Q2. What words did M Hamel write on the blackboard before dismissing the last class? What did they mean?

Answer:M Hamel wrote the words ‘Vive La France!’ in big letters on the blackboard before dismissing the last class. These words meant, ‘Long Live France!’ This shows his patriotic nature.

Q3. Why does M Hamel reproach himself for his students’ unsatisfactory progress in studies?

Answer:M Hamel reproaches himself for his students’ unsatisfactory progress in studies because he „ has given them his own personal work to do during school time. Besides, he also gave them a holiday when he wanted to go fishing. He also tells the villagers that they should reproach themselves for not having learnt their language.

Q4. What tempted Franz to stay away from school?

Answer:Franz feared a scolding at school as he had not prepared his lesson on participles, on which his French teacher M Hamel was to question the class that day. Besides, the warm and bright weather, the chirping of birds and the sight of the marching of Prussian soldiers also tempted Franz to stay away from school.

Q5. Why were the elders of the village sitting in the classroom?

Answer:As per an order from Berlin, French was no more to be taught in the schools of Alsace. Therefore, M Hamel, the French teacher, had to leave after forty years of long and faithful service. The elders of the village felt sorry for not learning their language and were present in the classroom to express their respect and gratitude towards him.

Q6. What shows M Hamel’s love for the French language?

Answer:M Hamel had taught the French language in the school- for forty years and was overcome with emotion when he realized that the villagers would not be able to learn it any more. He wanted them to preserve the language with them, thus showing his love for the language.

Q7.What made M Hamel cry towards the end of his last lesson?

Answer:M Hamel cried towards the end of his last lesson because he loved the French language and felt pity for the villagers, as they would not be able to learn their mother tongue any longer.

Q8. What was unusual about M Hamel’s dress on his last day in the school?

Answer:M Hamel’s dress on his last day in the school consisted of his beautiful green coat, frilled shirt, and a little black silk cap, all embroidered, that he never wore except on inspection and prize days.

Q9. “What a thunderclap these words were to me!” Which were the words that shocked and surprised little Franz?

Answer:The announcement made by M Hamel that there was an order from Berlin to stop teaching French, and that this was their last French lesson, seemed to be a thunderclap to Franz. He would no longer be able to learn French, his mother tongue.

Q10.What was the order from Berlin and what changes did it cause in the school?

Answer:The order from Berlin stated that only German will be taught in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine. This meant that French would no longer be taught in the school. M Hamel, the French teacher, would have to leave. This also caused the elder villagers to attend the school for the last lesson in French.

Q11.What did M Hamel tell them about the French language? What did he ask them to do and why?

Answer:M Hamel praised the French language, calling it the most beautiful, the clearest, and the most logical language in the world. He asked them to guard or preserve their language among themselves and never forget or lose it.

Q 12.What did Franz notice that was unusual about the school that day?

Answer:Franz noticed many unusual things about school that day. Usually, when the school began, there was a much commotion, which was missing that day. His teacher, M Hamel had on his ceremonial clothes. But the most unusual thing was that the village people were sitting quietly on the back benches, which were usually empty.

Q13. What was Franz expected to be prepared with for school that day?

Answer:Franz was expected to be prepared with his lesson on participles. M Hamel, his French teacher, had announced that he would question the class on participles. But poor Franz didn’t know even the first word about that.

Q14. What had been put up on the bulletin board?

Answer:An order that had come from Berlin had been put up on the bulletin board. The order was that from the next day only German would be taught in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine. The new teacher would join the school from the following day.

Q15. What announcement did M Hamel make? What was the impact of this on Franz?

Answer:M Hamel announced that he would be giving them the last French lesson because the orders had come from Berlin to teach only German in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine. Franz was shocked to hear this declaration.

Q16.What changes came over little Franz after he heard M Hamel’s announcement?

Answer:After hearing the announcement, Franz was very sad and he regretted not learning his lessons, and being deprived of the opportunity to learn his own mother tongue. His books suddenly became his ‘old friends’ whom he could not abandon.

Q 17.Why was Franz confused? What added to his confusion?

Answer:When Franz reached school, he found the entire place unusually quiet, strange and solemn. He was late for school and thought that Mr. Hamel would scold him. But, to his surprise, Mr.Hamel spoke very kindly to him and-invited him in. However, what confused him the most was the presence of the village elders in the classroom.

Q18.How did Franz perform when his turn came to recite?

Answer:When it was Franz’s turn to recite, he got mixed up on the first words and stood at his place, ashamed. He did not have the courage to look up and face his teacher.

Q19. How did Mr. Hamel praise the French language?

Answer:

Mr. Hamel called French the most beautiful language in the world. According to him, it was the clearest and the most logical language. He wanted the people of France to guard it amongst themselves and never forget it.

Q20.How is the mother tongue important?

Answer:The mother tongue is the representative of a nation’s true identity and character. It acts as a binding force, creating unity among the countrymen. M Hamel rightly said that when a people are enslaved, as long as they hold fast to their language, it is as if they had the key to their prison.

Q21. What was Mr. Hamel’s contribution to the school in Alsace?

Answer:M Hamel had given forty years of long and faithful service to the school. Though the students found him cranky, he was a true Frenchman at heart, who took immense pride in teaching his mother tongue. He loved the school and wanted the children to love their language.

Q22. Franz was able to understand everything that day. Why?

Answer:Franz thought that probably he had never paid so much attention in the class, and that Mr. Hamel had never explained everything with so much patience. Perhaps, these were the very reasons that he was able to understand everything that day.

Q23. What did Mr. Hamel teach the class in his ‘last lesson?

Answer:In his ‘last lesson’, Mr. Hamel taught the class about grammar, then about writing and finally a lesson in history. More than this, he made his students realize the importance of their mother tongue, and taught them to take pride in their language.

Q24. How did Franz’s feelings about Mr. Hamel and school change?

Answer:Franz was shocked when M Hamel told the students about the order from Berlin and that it was their last French lesson. He forgot about his teacher’s ruler and crankiness; instead, he started liking Mr.Hamel, as he was being separated from him forever. His feelings towards his school changed, as he did not want to give up his books and lessons, seemingly old friends

Long answer types

Q1. What happens to a linguistic minority in a state? How do you think they can keep their language alive?

For example— Bengalis in Gujarat

Tamilians in Mumbai

Kannadigas in Delhi

Gujaratis in Kolkata

Answer:Preserving Language Preserves Identity!

Language is an important marker of identity. Even while speaking the same language, social groups differentiate themselves by the way they talk. Thus, language offers a way of stating resistance to cultural uniformity. A native language goes beyond simple differentiation.

It represents a whole cultural history. Most people recognise the importance and value of indigenous culture and linguistic tradition and thus create opportunities where the languages can be used for a wider range of purposes than simply conversing with grandparents.

First, they often form social clubs and publish their own newsletters that bind them together. They encourage popular entertainment through their mother tongue. They encourage viewing of TV programmes and movies that are subtitled in their mother tongue. They often assume an active role in language and cultural preservation.

Although children of minorities are no longer subjected to corporal punishment for using their home language, they are often the target of other, more subtle forms of rejection and ostracism. Thus, these children begin ignoring their native language. Often, overt put- downs come from peer groups belonging to other linguistic belts. To prevent this, elders of the community try to send children where there are others like them who show greater respect and appreciation for their culture.

However, we must all contribute to keeping native languages alive. To do this, it is essential to practise communicating in it. If the use of a language is declining, it is necessary to identify special occasions and designate special times and places to use the language. The community must provide direction, but unless the school system participates in the effort, it may lack credibility in the eyes of the youth.

Q2. Mr.Hamel’s reaction when Franz could not answer a question on participles was unlike what he had expected. Justify.

Answer: Franz had been reluctant to reach school as he had anticipated a scolding from his teacher. But much to his surprise when M Hamel noticed that Franz was mixed up on the basics; he did not scold him as usual. He said that Franz must be feeling bad himself. He added it was too late as they would never learn French in Alsace. Ironically, they were Frenchmen, who could neither speak nor write their own language.

M Hamel was also critical of their parents who put them to work on a farm or at the mills for a little more than study. He also blamed himself for sending the students on errands instead of teaching them. He also regretted giving them a day off when he wanted to go fishing.

Q3. What changes did the order from Berlin cause in school that day ?

Answer :The order from Berlin was that only German language would be taught in the schools of Aslace and Lorraine in France. These two districts had passed into Prussian hands. It was the last day of the French teacher M. Hamel in the school. French will no more be taught in the school. So M. Hamel was leaving the school next day. M. Hamel had put on his fine Sunday clothes. The old men of the village were sitting there in the back of the room. It was their way of thanking M. Hamel for his forty years of faithful service. The children now taught the French language and the books written in that language as old friends.

Q4. How did Franz’s feelings about M. Hamel and school change ?

Answer:Franz felt sorry for not learning his lessons in French any more. His books that had seemed such a nuisance a short while ago, which he found so heavy to carry seemed to him old friends now that he could not give up. Franz’s feelings about his French teacher M. Hamel also were changed. The idea that he was going away, that he (Franz) should never see him again, made Franz forget all about his teacher’s ruler and how cranky or slightly eccentric he was.

Q5. The people in this story suddenly realise how precious their language is to them. What shows you this ? Why does this happen ?

Answer:In the Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871), France was defeated by Prussia led by Bismarck. In this story the French districts of Alsace and Lorraine had been passed in Prussian hands. There was an order from Berlin that only German would be taught in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine.

When the French master M. Hamel announced that it was their last French lesson and he was leaving, these words came as a peal of thunder. Franz and others felt sorry for not learning their lessons in French.

His books like French grammar and history of the saints which seemed a nuisance, a short while ago, looked like old friends now that he could not give up. The old men of the village sitting there in the back of the room had felt sorry about it. The people realised that they must protect the French language – the most beautiful language of the world, the clearest and most logical. The feeling that they would be deprived of learning French made them suddenly realise that how precious their language was to them.

Q6. Writea paragraph of about 120 words arguing for or against having to study three languages at school.

Answer:The Importance of Studying Three Languages at School India is a vast country where too many languages are spoken. P is not practically possible to learn all these languages. However, I earnestly feel that if students learn three

languages at school, they can communicate well within India as well as outside it.

First of all mother tongue should be taught at school. Then our national language Hindi should be v taught at schools. The third language which should be taught at schools, I think, should be English. It is not only the lingua franca of the world, but it is also a link language in India -y itself. That is why I think these three languages should be studied at schools of India.

Q7. Is it possible to carry pride in one’s language too far? Do you know what 'linguistic chauvinism' means?

Ans. ‘Linguistic chauvinism’ means an aggressive and unreasonable belief that your own language is better than all others. This shows an excessive or prejudiced support for one’s own language. Sometimes pride in one’s own language goes too for and the linguistic enthusiasts can be easily identified by their extreme zeal for the preservation and spread of their language. In their enthusiasm, love and support for their own language, they tend to forget that other languages too have their own merits, long history of art, culture and literature behind them. Instead of bringing unity and winning over others as friends, having excessive pride in one’s own language creates ill-will and disintegration. The stiff-resistance to the acceptance of Hindi as national language by the southern states of India is a direct outcome of the fear of being dominated by Hindi enthusiasts. The result is that ‘One India’ remains only a slogan.

12th std THE LOST SPRING

 12th std THE LOST SPRING 

Question Answers

1. What is Saheb looking for in the garbage dumps? Where is he and where has he come from?

Ans. Saheb is looking for any precious thing which he cannot afford to buy. Things like a rupee, silver coin or a pair of shoes. He has come to the garbage dump in the writer’s neighborhood. He lives in Seemapuri in Delhi and has come from Dhaka.

2. What explanations does the author offer for the children not wearing footwear?

Ans. One explanation offered by the author is that it is a tradition to stay barefoot. It is not lack of money. He wonders if this is only an excuse to explain away a perpetual state of poverty. He also remembers the story of a poor body who prayed to the goddess for a pair of shoes.

3. Is Saheb happy working at the tea-stall? Explain.

Ans. No, Saheb is not happy working at the tea-stall. He is no longer his own master. His face has lost the carefree look. The steel canister seems heavier than the plastic bag he would carry so lightly over his shoulder. The bag was his and the canister belongs to the man who owns the tea-shop.

4. What makes the city of Firozabad famous?

Ans. The city of Firozabad is famous for its bangles. Every other family in Firozabad is engaged in making bangles. It is the centre of India’s glass-blowing industry. Families have spent generations working around furnaces, welding glass, making bangles for the women in the land.

5. Mention the hazards of working in the glass bangles industry.

Ans. Boys and girls with their fathers and mothers sit in dark hutments, next to lines of flames of flickering oil lamps. They weld pieces of coloured glass into circles of bangles. Their eyes are more adjusted to the dark than to the light outside. They often end up losing eyesight before they become adults. Even the dust from polishing the glass of bangles is injurious to eyes. Many workers have become blind. The furnaces have very high temperature and therefore very dangerous.

6. How is Mukesh’s attitude to his situation different from that of his family?

Ans. Mukesh’s grandmother thinks that the god-given lineage can never be broken. Her son and grandsons are born in the caste of bangle makers. They have seen nothing but bangles. Mukesh’s father has taught them what he knows, the art of making bangles. But Mukesh wants to be a motor mechanic. He will go to a garage and learn, though the garage is far away from his home.

7. What could be some of the reasons for the migration of people from villages to cities?

Ans. People migrate from villages to cities in search of a better life. They want to earn money so that they can lead a good life and rear their children in a better way. As cities have more opportunities for work, this makes them migrate from the villages to these big cities.

8. Would you agree that promises made to poor children are rarely kept? Why do you think this happens in the incidents narrated in the text?

Ans. Yes, I agree that the promises made to poor children are rarely fulfilled. In the story the writer jokingly offers the rag picker boy to join a school that she would open. In fact, she does not intend to open a school. She speaks mindlessly but the boy takes it to be true and later asks her if the school has opened. There are many such hollow promises in the boy’s life because the person who makes the promise never intends to fulfil it.

9. What forces conspire to keep the workers in the bangle industry of Firozabad in poverty?

Ans. The writer tells us that the bangle – makers of Firozabad are poverty – stricken. They are burdened by the fact of the particular caste in which they are born – bangle – makers. They have to continue the traditional profession. Further, the society has formed a harsh circle around them. The money – lenders, middlemen, policemen, law – keepers, officers and politicians altogether form a barrier around them and tie them in the grip of poverty. They cannot escape from it.

10. How, in your opinion, can Mukesh realise his dream?

Ans. Mukesh is the son of a poor bangle-maker of Firozabad. Most of the young men of Firozabad have no initiative or ability to dream, but Mukesh is an exception. He has the capacity to take courage and break from the traditional family occupation. He has strong will power also. He does not want to be a pawn in the hands of the middlemen or moneylenders. He insists on being his own master by becoming a motor mechanic.

He can realise his dream by joining a garage and learn the job of repairing cars and driving them. He will have to overcome many hurdles before he succeeds. Then comes transport problem. Money is the first one. He will have to earn some money himself. The garage is a long way from his home. He will have to cover it twice everyday anyhow—by walking on foot.

Patience, hardwork, firm will and the determination to learn will help him realise his dream.

11. Mention the hazards of working in the glass bangles industry.

Ans. The glass bangles industry has many health hazards. It usually employs small children. It is illegal to employ very young children in hazardous industries, but certain forces like, middlemen, moneylenders, police and politicians combine to entrap the poor workers.

Let us first consider the places where bangle makers work. It is a cottage industry. They work in the glass furnaces with high temperatures. The dingy cells are without air and light. Boys and girls work hard during day next to lines of flames of flickering oil lamps.

They weld pieces of coloured glass into circles of bangles. Their eyes are more adjusted to the dark than to the light outside. That is why, they often end up losing their eyesight before they become adults.

Glass blowing, welding and soldering pieces of glass are all health hazards. Even the dust from polishing the glass of bangles adversely affects the eyes and even adults go blind. Thus, the surroundings, prevailing conditions and the type of job involved-all prove risky to the health of the workers.

12. Why should child labour be eliminated and how?

Ans. Child labour should be eliminated because the children employed at tender age as domestic servants, dish-washers at road-side dhabas and in hazardous industries making glass bangles, biris, crackers etc. lose the charm of the spring of their life. While doing this their childhood is stolen and burdened by the responsibility of work, they become adults too soon. Most of them are undernourished, ill-fed, uneducated, and poor. They have a stunted growth.

Child labour can be eliminated only through concerted efforts on the part of government agencies, Non-Government Organisations, co-operative societies and political leaders. 

Also, forcing a child to work is a crime. This is so in order to prevent exploitation of children. If forced to work, Children cannot enjoy their childhood. They cannot get proper education. Also, when they are forced into hazardous works, they get ailments at a young age. This destroys their future. Their parents overlook all these facts as they need money. So, the government has to become proactive and take measures to check child labour and enforce the law strictly.

Mere passing of law will not help. Laws should be enacted faithfully. The children thrown out of work should be rehabilitated and given proper food, clothes, education and pocket money. Their feelings, thoughts and emotions should be respected. Let them enjoy sunshine and fresh air.

13. “But promises like mine abound in every corner of his bleak world.” What promise does the author recall? In what context was it made? Was it fulfilled?

Ans. The author asked Saheb about going to school. Saheb explained that there was no school in his neighbourhood. He promised to go to school when they built one. Half joking, the author asked whether he would come in case she started one. Saheb smiled broadly and agreed to come. After a few days, he ran upto the author and asked if the school was ready. The author felt embarrassed. She had made a promise that was not meant.

14. Explain: “For children, garbage has a meaning different from what it means to their parents. ”

Ans. Small children scrounge heaps of garbage. They expect to get some coin, note or valuable thing in it. Sometimes they find a rupee or even a ten rupee note. This gives the hope of finding more. They search it excitedly. For children, garbage is wrapped in wonder.

For the elders it is a means of survival. Thus, garbage has two different meanings.

15. How has “a dream come true” for Saheb but what is “out of his reach?”

Ans. Saheb is wearing discarded tennis shoes. One of them has a hole. Saheb does not bother about the hole. For one who has walked barefoot, even shoes with a hole is a dream come true. But tennis, the game he is watching so intently, is out of his reach.

16. What are most of the bangle-makers ignorant of? What would happen if law were enforced strictly?

Ans. Most of the bangle-makers are ignorant of the fact that employing children in bangle making is illegal. This is a hazardous industry. Many children become blind before reaching their adulthood. If the law were enforced strictly, 20,000 children would be released from working hard throughout the day at hot furnaces with high temperatures. 

17. Give a thumb-nail sketch of the “frail young woman” in the chapter ‘Lost Spring’.

Ans. The young woman is the wife of Mukesh’s elder brother. Her eyes are filled with the smoke of firewood. Though not much older in years, she commands respect as the daughter- in-law of the house. She adheres to customs and traditions. She veils her face before male elders. She gently withdraws behind the broken wall to do so.

18. Give a thumb-nail sketch of the “frail young woman” in the chapter ‘Lost Spring’.

Ans. The young woman is the wife of Mukesh’s elder brother. Her eyes are filled with the smoke of firewood. Though not much older in years, she commands respect as the daughter- in-law of the house. She adheres to customs and traditions. She veils her face before male elders. She gently withdraws behind the broken wall to do so.

19.What do bangles symbolise? When, according to the author, will Savita know “the sanctity of the bangles she helps make?” How is the Indian bride dressed? 

Ans. Bangles symbolise auspiciousness in marriage for an Indian woman. Savita will come to know “the sanctity” of the bangles when she becomes a bride. The head of a bride is draped with a red veil. Her hands are dyed with red henna. Red bangles are rolled on to her wrists.

20. “She still has bangles on her wrist but no light in her eyes.” What exactly does the author want to convey through this?

Ans.  'She’ is an elderly woman who became a bride long ago. Since her husband, an old man with a flowing beard is still alive, she still has bangles on her wrist. She has, however, not enjoyed even one full meal in her entire lifetime. So, there is no light in her eyes. This is just a comment on the abject poverty and helplessness of the bangle-makers.

Value based questions

Q1.Hunger knows no friend but its feeder. The downtrodden lead a miserable life. Elucidate the dictum keeping in mind the following lines:

“survival in Seemapuri means rag picking. Through the years, it has acquired the proportions of a fine art. Garbage to them is gold. It is their daily bread a roof over their heads, “

Ans.                                                       

 Poverty: A Vicious Circle

It is a well known saying that poverty is the root cause of all evils. Corruption, loot, begging and incidents of theft are the offspring of abject poverty. The destitute lead a pitiable and miserable life. They do not get sufficient food. Lack of funds constrain them to take recourse to illegal activities. Slum dwellers always feel themselves dejected. They recognise only those beings who help them and feed them. Political leaders take undue advantages of their poverty. They are misused to win elections. Humanity, mankind, honesty, trust and love become significant when an individual succeeds in satisfying his hunger. Hungry people need only food. There is a dearth of people who are capable of converting obstacles into opportunities. These poor people are exploited ruthlessly by industrialists, politicians and other middlemen. They scrounge for gold in the garbage dumps to earn their livelihood. The hiatus between the rich and the poor seems difficult to be bridged. It is increasing day by day. The poor are becoming poorer and the rich richer. There is no human being who would like to work for their welfare. Their plight is pitiable and horrible. The residential areas of these people are packed with filth. They become habitual of foul smell. Poverty is a vicious circle. It never comes to an end. The unemployed youth are heading towards destruction. They do not remember anything except the help they receive from the opportunistic people who feed them to materialise their vested interests.

Q2. Child abuse is a very serious problem in our country. Children are forced by circumstances to work in various factories. Write an article, on the topic ‘Child Abuse’. Take ideas from the following lines:

“None of them knows that it is illegal for children like him to work in the glass furnaces 1 with high temperatures, in dingy cells without air and light; that the law, if enforced, could get him and all those 20,000 children out of the hot furnaces where they slog their daylight /hours, often losing the brightness of their eyes.”

Ans.              CHILD ABUSE

Child abuse is a grave problem in India. Many children work for dhabas, factories and tea stall owners. These are those unfortunate children of this country who don’t get even . meals three times a day. It is a blemish on our nation. It is the duty of the governments to make arrangements of education for these children. Child labour is common in the fields of agriculture, domestic service, sex industry, carpet and textile industries, quarrying, bangle making and brick making. These children are forced to work in horrible conditions. There are no set working hours for these children. They are given low wages.

In some cases poverty of the household and low level of parental education are responsible , for child labour. Employing children in factories implies that the nation’s future is in dark. These children never feel happy. They become devoid of human emotions. They adoptillegal ways to earn their bread and butter when they become able-bodied. It gives rise to .violence and corruption. Child labour should be stopped and the governments should educate these children free of cost. At least elementary education should be given to all children.